Vol. 2 Chapter 113: Betrayal

Ivanhold raises his staff, and the cold light it emits reflects the death inside him. Every movement is devoid of emotion, as if he is nothing more than a tool, a soulless weapon.

“Summer is buried there, centuries deep;A crypt of years where seasons sleep.”

The sound of his words overwhelms her. The cold they carry is not just physical but emotional. The voice she once loved is now stripped of all warmth.

Yet Deedee doesn’t notice. She doesn’t see the imminent danger, doesn’t realize that Ivanhold is casting a deadly spell.

Kanna, Xiaikai, and the others shout warnings, but Deedee doesn’t hear them. She is completely absorbed by Ivanhold’s presence.

[WINTER'S GRASP]

The magic takes shape, and the air around them freezes. The temperature plummets, dropping far below zero.

A rain of ice crystals falls like sharp blades, embedding themselves into the flesh of the women. Kanna, Welze, and even Luysia feel the biting cold, cutting and wounding them. Every contact is a painful blow, leaving marks and blood behind.

But this is just the beginning. The true effect of the spell manifests around Ivanhold: the ground beneath him turns to ice, the very air seems to crystallize. Even the skeletons near him are quickly transformed into ice statues.

Deedee, completely unaware, continues to move closer, not realizing that her own blood is beginning to freeze in her veins.

Xiaikai and her spirit Tersiflare don’t stand idly by. In an instant, Tersiflare envelops their companions in a protective aura of fire, neutralizing the deadly effect of Ivanhold’s spell. But the frost gripping Deedee cannot be stopped by fire alone.

"Deedee! You need to snap out of it!" Kanna shouts, desperate.

But Deedee is too far gone, lost in her thoughts, in her emotions. She moves closer to Ivanhold, ignoring the growing pain, ignoring the cold that is consuming her.

"Ivanhold... do you remember the promise?" she stammers with a trembling voice. Her hope is fragile, like a thin thread that frays with every word.

The mage's eyes show no sign of life. There’s no recognition, no love. And yet, for a brief moment, Deedee believes she senses a hesitation.

"In my mind, the last moment I saw you is still etched... I thought I would never find you again..."But Ivanhold doesn’t respond. It’s just an illusion, a broken dream. Deedee knows this, but she can’t accept it. Not yet.

"I haven’t forgotten... I’m ready to give up everything for you."And in that moment, the magical tattoo on her neck, the symbol of her bond with Strauss, begins to burn with devastating intensity. It’s as if the flames of hell have awakened inside her skin.

"AUUUARGGGHHHH!!" she screams, clutching her neck in an attempt to soothe the pain, but there is nothing she can do. Her act of rebellion has triggered the curse, and now the contract is punishing her disobedience.

Deedee collapses to her knees, unable to endure the agony.

{You are mine. You must obey me. There is no room for anything else but me.} Strauss Wagner’s voice pierces her mind, relentless. The master to whom she has given her soul.

"Bastard... motherfucker! I... love him..." she whispers, but every word she utters intensifies the curse.

The pain spreads, like a wildfire consuming her from within. She screams again, her voice breaking as the tattoo sears her, burning her alive.

{At the first opportunity, you dare betray me? I who freed you from your miseries? From your responsibilities? I who gave your life meaning? You dare deny my love? Ungrateful woman. Do not dare defy me further.}Her Master’s fury burns as fiercely as the tattoo that is scorching her skin like a brand.

"Get out of my fucking head... b-bastard..." Deedee groans, fighting against the pain, but it’s a losing battle. She collapses to the ground, defeated, as the fire of the curse continues to burn without flames.

Kanna watches the scene, helpless and terrified, knowing there’s nothing she can do to save her friend from this torment.

Welze is unaware of what’s happening around her. With her eyes focused on the enemies and the frozen air surrounding her, she doesn’t notice Deedee’s inner struggle. She’s ignorant of the contract with Strauss and can only feel perplexed.

However, Luysia, ever observant, frowns. Although she says nothing, her gaze betrays a growing concern.

Xiaikai, from her elevated position, remains impassive. Yet, her usually calm aura betrays a slight unease.

Strauss, standing beside the queen, watches the screens with bloodshot eyes. His voice, when it reaches his Servant’s mind, is pure rage. He restrains himself from throwing his wine goblet to the ground.

{I point out the prey, and you must bring it down! You are my bitch! Have you forgotten? Have you forgotten how I broke you, giving you pleasure no man could ever give? Bitch?}

This has never happened before—the betrayal of one of his women. Even though Luysia had rebelled in the past, she had never challenged his control so directly. Now, Strauss’s anger and wounded pride erupt into an uncontrollable fury, a roar of hatred that echoes in Deedee’s mind.

Deedee kneels, her body wracked by the pain of the tattoo burning on her neck, her emotions spiraling into chaos.

“All I ever wanted was to live happily with Ivanhold…” she whispers through her tears, desperately clinging to that impossible dream, a happiness lost in time.

Strauss shows no mercy.

{Still resisting, bitch? This is a lie, and you know it. You want to hunt. You are my huntress, waiting for me to point out the prey for you to kill. I will have to punish you severely because you’ve been a bad dog. You will be the one to bury that walking corpse!}

The brutality of his words hits her like a punch. "I-I... it's not t-true..." she stammers, trying to resist, but the collar around her neck pulses with cruel power, stripping away her will.

{Enough talking, bitch!} Strauss commands, without mercy.

[ABSOLUTE OBEDIENCE]

{Kill Ivanhold.}The unmistakable words thunder in Deedee’s mind like a death sentence.

She screams inside, knowing she cannot resist the absolute command of her Master.

Her body moves on its own, every muscle obeying Strauss. Her mind, now stripped of will, focuses on one single target: Ivanhold. The man she had loved with all her heart. The man she longed to embrace one more time, even though he was now just a corpse controlled by the Lich. And yet, the command she received is clear, and her body can do nothing but obey.

The conflict between her will and Strauss’s power devastates her. Her vision shows her Ivanhold as she remembered him, the man who had loved her. But her body doesn’t respond to these feelings. She has become a machine, a weapon in Strauss’s hands, ready to destroy the very thing she loved most.

"I hate you, motherfucker!" she screams in her mind, but the pain from the collar intensifies, suffocating every other thought. The demonic mark pulses like a living fire, burning her from within. Every single impulse of her will is crushed as the curse takes total control.

Her bow-sword rises, ready to strike.

Deedee strikes, her blade aimed at Ivanhold’s head, fully aware that to kill a zombie, the brain must be destroyed. Though her heart continues to deny the reality, her body knows what to do. Ivanhold is dead. He must be destroyed.

*CRASH*

The blow is stopped by a crystal of ice, instantly generated by Ivanhold.

The cold of Ivanhold’s magic is palpable, and his defense is as solid as the ice itself. But the power of Deedee’s [SAGITTA OF THE ETERNAL FOREST] is just as formidable: the crystal shatters on impact. Yet, it has blocked the strike.

Deedee doesn’t stop. She twists the blade to strike again, this time from the opposite side. The result is the same. The blow is stopped by another ice shield. Ivanhold’s body is surrounded by a freezing aura, a deadly cold that numbs Deedee’s movements.

Ivanhold's [WINTER'S GRASP] continues to persist, and Deedee's movements grow slower and slower, the blood in her veins beginning to freeze with each passing second. Despite Tersiflare’s protection, the prolonged exposure to Ivanhold’s aura is freezing her from the inside.

Deedee struggles to breathe; the cold is suffocating her. And yet, she can’t stop. Her body no longer belongs to her. She is completely enslaved to Strauss's will. Every fiber of her being screams in pain, but the command is absolute. She must kill Ivanhold, even if it means killing a part of herself.

Around her, the battlefield is a chaotic swirl of ice and fire. The other fighters are busy fending off the Lich's army of skeletons, while Ivanhold continues to cast lethal spells. But Deedee sees none of it. The only thing that exists for her, in that moment, is Ivanhold. Her love. Her prey.

The collar burns hotter, pushing her beyond every limit."I hate you, Strauss," she thinks again, but she can do nothing but obey.The next blow will be fatal, she knows it. But her soul rebels, even if her body cannot. And in doing so, she hates herself even more because she feels the thrill of the hunt, the pleasure of taking down such a powerful opponent.

Strauss's huntress has finally found the hardest prey to kill: her own heart.

"I’ve been too lenient. This betrayal has opened my eyes. I won’t allow it to happen again," Strauss thinks, his expression grim as he continues to watch the battle.

"Maybe I should take revenge by going after her friend Guli? That could be an idea."Dark thoughts form in his mind as he lets his hatred flow freely through him.

"I will break you again and again until nothing remains but my will," the Master thinks through gritted teeth, watching the traitor.